Sheet-handling machine



C. E. DELLENBARGER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED'DEC. 14. 1918.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. E. DELLENBARGER.

SHEET HANDLINGMACHIN E.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, 1918.

1 111611161 Nov. 1, 1921.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

c. E. DEL LENBARGER. SHEE NDLING MACHINE.

APPLICA FILED 056 14. 1918.

1,395,909. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

. I EETS-SHEET 3- G. E. DELLENBARGER, SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mzc.14, 1918.

L 2. 9 1T 9% 1 F w Wm Na w M n .w a P I i f C. E. DELLENBARGER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, I918.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

I c. E. DELLENBARGER. SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, I918.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

c. E. DELLENBARGER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED (2.14, 1918.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921;

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. DELLENBARGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-HANDLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed December 14, 1918. Serial No. 266,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DELLEN- nAnoEn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Handling Machines, of which thefollowing is aspecilication.

My present invention relates more particularly to machines for processing sheets and to machines for stacking the sheets after they have been processed.

The particular objects of my present inventions are the provision of improved sheet severing mechanism; the provision of improved means for cutting, slitting, scoring, or otherwise processing-substantially continuous streams or courses of moving material; the provision of improved means for the reception and handling of such material; the provision of improved means for stacking a substantially continuous stream of sheets; the provision of improved means for guiding sheets into position on a stacking mechanism; the provision of means for moving the receptacles relatively to the flowing stream or course of sheets whereby the sheets are stacked in a particular manner; the pro: vision in a stacking apparatusemploying a plurality of receptacles of means whereby the receptacles may be progressively removed from their normal receiving position and others substituted therefor; and the provision of a means whereby such removed receptacles may be withdrawn from the stacking machine, together with certain further objects to be below disclosed.

While my present invention has wide utility for the forming and handling by me chanical means of a large variety of products, for purpose of illustration it is here shown as embodied in a machine for producing sticks mechanically from a sub stantlally continuous sheet of that form ofgum chicle, colloquially known as chewing gum. It will, therefore, be described in connection with the production of such articles.

Further, while the machines embodying my present inventions are adapted to gath ering and stacking, from any'co'nvenient source of supply, sheets of divers material, I have illustrated it as especially arranged for cooperation with certain sets of mechanisms required for producing a substantially continuous sheet which are disclosed in my co-pending application for Patent No. 266; 679, and the principal features of the preferred form of processing mechanism disclosed in this application form the subject matter of my co-pending application for Patent No. 266,680.

As will appear from the first of said 00- pending applications, in the manufacture of chewing gum, pastry, biscuit, roofing material and the like, the plastic mass of heated or moist ingredients is preferably expressed from a pugging mill, powdered, and passed between forming rolls from which it issues in a continuous stream and delivered onto an endless conveyor and caused to travel a certain distance thereupon whereby it is somewhat cooled and dried and thereby hardened. The machine of the present invention relates particularly to means whereby the further steps to which such partially hardened sheet is to be subjected, are carried out;

I am aware that in the manufacture of chewing gum, it has heretofore been proposed first to score the sheet and then to pull the scored portion of the sheet apart from the remainder thereof by some suitable mechanism, but in practice I have found that it is preferable to completely sever a relatively short sheet portion from the moving course or flow of material before slitting, scoring or otherwise processing it for the reason that chewing gum is ordinarily manufactured under conditions of relatively high temperature which tends to render it quite plastic and therefore somewhat difficult to handle, and since the sheet produced under such conditions readily becomes distorted by the tearing apart step re ferred to because it has relatively little tensile strength.

A further object of my inventions therefore has been the provision of an improved method of handling the moving sheet Where- Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a detail.

of the construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in vertical section, illustrative of a portion of the processing mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of that part of the machine'shown in Fig. 3;

Fig.6 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the machine, toward the right-hand or rear end thereof as it is viewed fromthe aspect of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, certain of the parts being removed and the other shown in longitudinal. section;

Fig. 7 is a still further enlarged elevational view, partly in vertical section, of certion of the elements of construction illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of part of the device illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of'the device of Fig. 6, certain of the'parts having been removed;

. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of a detail of the construction shown in Fig. 9. V

Fig. 11 is a plan view'of the detail of construction illustrated. in Fig; 10;

Fig. 12 is an end elevationalview of the construction shown in Fig. 5, viewing the machine from the forward or left-hand aspect of-suchfigure; I

Fig. 13 is a transverse elevational view, partly in vertical section, similar to Fig. 12 save that certain of the parts have been removed; 7

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view, on an enlarged scale, illustrative of a detail of construction of that part of the machine which is shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the detail of construction shown in Fig. 14; i

Fig. 16 is another side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of another detail of construction of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5 showing them in the relation they as sume at that point of action of the machine;

17 is a view similar to Fig. 16, showing such parts in-another position they as sume in the operation of the machine;

Fig. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the detail of the construction illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17 Fig. 19 is a partial plan view of the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 18, certain of the parts being broken away;

Fig. 20 is an end elevational view of such detail of construction, viewing it from the right-hand or rear end of the machine considered from the aspect of Fig. 5;

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary elevational view of a detail of the construction shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 22 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrative ofthe relation between certain parts shown in Fig. 4:.

In preferred form, a machine embodying my present invention involves in general the following features of construction, which several features I will now proceed to describe, viz.-:

1. Means for receiving a substantially continuous course of material;

2. Means for severing such material into convenient lengths for handling;

3. Means for processing the severed sheets;

4:. Means for delivering the sheets after the processingoperations are completed;

5. Means for receiving the delivered sheets;

6. Means for removing said receiving means whereby substitute receiving means may be emplaced; and

7. Means for withdrawing said removed receiving means whereby the substituted receiving means may in turn be removed.

Referring first more particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that for receiving and delivering to the processing mechanism indicated at 10, 11, and 12, the sheet 13 as it comes from some convenient source of supply such as the sheet making machine disclosed in my copending application for patent first above referred to, I employ a conveyer belt 14: driven in the direction indicated by the arrow from some suitable source of power and preferably in synchronism with such sheet making mechanism. The said sheet 13 then passes from said conveyer belt 1 1 to a feeding mechanism which may be, conveniently, a pair of spaced rolls such as are indicated at 10 and thence to the severing mechanism which may conveniently be a pair of spaced rolls 11. One of the rolls 11 carries a series of blades 15 disposed longitudinally of the rolls and transversely of the moving sheet. One of the blades is wider than the others and is adapted to act as a severing blade.

severing and scoring mechanism form the subject matter of my co-pending application for patent Serial No. 266.680 and so need not be here specifically described.)

As the sheet passes from the rolls 12 it rides onto a guide plate 17 and is thence taken up by a conveyor belt 18.

- From the belt 18 the material passes between certain guiding means, to be below more specifically described, (in connection with F igs. 1.6 to 20) into a receptacle 20 which may be ct anyconvenient tor-m, such receptacle beingyieldably supported by a carrier indicated at 21 (see Fig. 5).

lleie ring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be noted that the receptacle 20 is inserted in the machine by placing it in position on the supports and then movin forward (toward the left-hand end of 7 machine) into the carrier 21 where it receives the sheets as they issue in spaced rela tion from between the guiding devices 19.

The carrier 21 rests upon a series of rollers 2d and is reciprocable longitudinally of the machine by means of a grooved cam 25 which actuatcs a lever 26 (sec Fi pivoted at 2'? to the. machine frame, the lever 26 being-5 con nected by a linlr 28 to a lever 29 pivoted to the frame at 30, such lever 29 being in turn pivoted to a connecting rod 31 which is attached to the carrier 21.

. lln Figs. 10 and 11, l have indicated lateral guide members 55 which'cooperate ith a front stop member 56 (Fig. and stop member 57 for preventing longitudinal displacement oi the receptacle 2O utter it is placed in'position in the carrier 21 to receive the oncoming course of sheets. it will be observed that the rear stop members 5'? comprise resilient elements 58 having one end fixed to the trameinembcr 55, the opposite ends 59 being loosely carried in apertures in such members 55 whereby the members 5'? may yield when the receptacle 20 is push *d forward from the brackets on to the carrieriZl and into positionto receive the sheets a presently to be describ-edin comiection with Figs. 16 to'20.

ltetei'ring now more particularly to 5, 6 and. 12 to 15, it will be secnthat the receptacle 20 is releasably supported in the carrier-2l=by means ot'supportinp; brackets 33 rotatably mounted on shafts 34 having their ends miter gears 35 engaging gears =30 on shai't 37. For turning the shaft 3 and thereby tilting the brackets I emp oy a pedal 38 and a connecting rod 39 ha pivoted thereto at its upper extremity a t per which may conveniently be a bell c device 40 maintained in the position she n by the counterweight ll (see 15). The lever arm portion of the bell cranlr 4-0 preferably vertical and arranged to be placed in the path otmovement oi the extending tripper arms 4-2 which may be supported by a dislr 43 mounted on said shaft 37. The shaft 37 is normally prevented from movement by means of a ratchet wheel i l n0n rotatably carried thereupon and engaged by a detent 45 normally held in engagement therewith by means of a compression spring 46. When, however. the treadle 38 is actuated by depression and the lever arm 40 is raised into the path of movement of the carrier toward the left one of the arms 42 is moved, turning the brackets 33 and thereby the receptacle 20 is dropped upon the series of rollers indicated at 4-7 (see Figs. 5, 6 and 9) and a fresh receptacle may be pushed forward from the brackets 23 into position to receive the oncoming course of sheets. l Vhen the connecting rod 89 is actuated, the cam 89 rises with it and comes into contact with the lug 45 carried on the detent 4C5, withdrawing it from engagement with the ratchet wheel (l4, by virtue of the beveled under surface o the cam 39.

.l'leterring now more particularly to the means for withdrawing the dropped receptacle, now denominated 20', whereby the cycle oft UPJl'ittlOll just referred to may be repeated, and. with special reference to Figs. 5 to both inclusive, it will be apparent that the sev'ral rollers 4t! are grooved intermediate their ends as indicated at l8 for the otion of a pusher bar 50, one end of which is attached to the carrier 21. The said pusher bar ca ries pivotally a pair l ;s and spi' 52 and 58 acting l k) v dogs and tendin to litt them to the (it when the dog 52 passes the torend of is dropped receptacle 20 (Fig.

.4) such dog: will rise above the bottom of the carrier moves to the rear of the machine s i re Xntacle 20 will be partially withdrawn irom the machine by the pusher bar 50. its the tra.erse of the carrier 21 is normally not su'liicient to carry the receptacle 20" entirely out of the path of": the dropping move lent of the receptacle 20, standing immediately above it, on the next traverse of the carrier 21 the dog 53 will rise and on the movement of the to the rear will in turn engage the front edge of said receptacle 20 and the pusher bar 50 will complete the withdrawal of: the carrier from the machine.

leierring now more particularly to Figs. 1,5 and 1,6 to 20, it will be noted that at the rear or right-hand end of the conveyer 18, l mount a d vity roller 60 which is loosely carried by a pair of pivoted Markets 61 whereby the oncoming end oi he sheet is directed between angularly OllSPOSGCl guide plates 62 and 63. Below these guide plates and in T5 with their low ft edges are arra ired 'ansverse flexible guide members, ably brushes, 64: and 65 (see Fig. :20) which respectively direct the oncoming course of sheets into position on the receptacle 20 as the carrier moves to and fro. As will be understood on considering the disclosures of Figs. 16 and 17 and the means for stacking the sheets in orderly piles therein illustrated, the sheets are disposed in the receptacle 20, beginning first at one end thereof and then at the other end thereof, the continuous reciprocation of the carrier 21 being retarded at each end of its traverse just suiiiciently to compensate for the spaced relation according to which the stream or course of sheets issues from the severing mechanism, such retardation being accomplished by means of the form of cam employed by me.

In view of the'foregoing particularized description of the construction, function and operations of the several parts, it is believed that recapitiulation of the operation of the machine would be redundant.

While the manner in which the rotating rolls, the conveyer belts, the cam mechanism and other parts, above described, is driven, is unimportant, so long as they are driven at proper proportional speeds, it will be understood that power may be imparted to the main driving shaft (see Fig. l) in any convenientmanner and conveniently from the same source of power that drives the sheet making machine itself.

The driving shaft 70 may be driven by a belt 71 (Fig. l) from any convenient source of power. Un the shaft 70 are mounted gears 72 and 73 adapted to mesh alternately with gears 7% or 75 on a shaft 76 which is journaled in a swinging bracltet carried at its opposite end on said shaft ?O.

The shaft 76 carries the lower speed changing cone 78 which drives the belt 7 9 and thence the upper speed changing cone 80 which is mounted on a shaft 81.

The rolls 10, 11, 12 are driven by means of said shaft 81 and the gear 82 mounted thereon which meshes with the gear 83 driving the gear-train shown in plan view in Fig. 4.

For variably timing the reciprocating movement of the carrier 21 with the movement of the cutting-off mechanism, and particularly that of the, rolls 11, which is effected by suitably adjusting the cam 25 for movement of the lever 26 by the cam 25, thus synchronizing all of the parts involved, I employ a hand-wheel 8% threaded on to a shaft S P which carries said cam 25.

1e hand-wheel 8&- acts against a sprocket 35 which is loose on said shaft 8% and consequently may be varied in its relation thereto by loosening said hand-wheel, and since the sprocket 85 is connected by a chain 86 to a pinion 87 which is driven by a gear 88 (see Fig. meshing with a gear 89 on the shaft 90 which carries the lower roll 11, such synchronization is readily eifected upon loosening the hand-wheel 8 and turning said sprocket 85 on said shaft 84.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for cutting and stacking sheets from a length of moving material, in combination, sheet severing mechanism acting on the moving material, a receiver for the sheets cut off thereby, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of travel of the moving material whereby the sheets coming from the severing mechanism are stacked on said receiver.

2. In a machine for cutting and stacking sheets from a. length of moving flexible material, in combination, sheet severing mech anism acting on the moving material, a receiver for the sheets cut oil thereby, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of travel of the moving material, the severed sheets bein stacked fiat on said receiver by the reciprocation thereof.

8. In a machine for cutting and stacking sheets from a length of moving flexible material, in COll'lbllltllllOIl, sheet severing mechanism acting on the moving material, a. receiver for the sheets cut oil thereby, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of travel of the moving material, the severed sheets being stacked on said receiver. beginning alternately at opposite ends of the receiver, by the reciprocation thereof.

4-. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver.

In a machine for stacking flexible sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets, the sheets being stacked fiat on said receiver by the reciprocation thereof.

6. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets, the sheets being stacked on said receiver, beginning alternately at opposite ends of the receiver, by reciprocation thereof.

7. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, a guide for directing the sheets from the delivery means to the receiver, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver.

'8. In a machine for stacking flexible sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, a flexible guide device for directing the sheets from the delivery means to the receiver, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets, the sheets being stacked fiat on said receiver by the reciprocation thereof.

9. in a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, a pair of oppositely disposed brushes for directing the sheets from the delivery means to the receiver, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets, the sheets being stacked on said receiver, beginning alternately at opposite ends of the receiver, by reciprocation thereof.

10. In a. machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, a pair of oppositely disposed flexible guides for directing the sheets from the delivery means to the receiver, and means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets, the sheets being stacked on said receiver, beginning alternately at opposite ends of the receiver, by reciprocation thereof.

11. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream oi sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for yieldably supporting said receiver, and means for tripping said yielding support whereby said receiver may be dropped and another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets.

12. in a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for yieldably supporting said receiver, means for tripping said yielding support whereby said receiver may be dropped and another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets, and means for withdrawing said dropped receiver and thereby providing for the reception and withdrawal of the substitute receiver when it in turn is dropped.

18. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for yieldably supporting said receiver, means for tripping said yielding support whereby said receiver may be dropped and another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets, and means for withdrawing said dropped receiver and thereby providing for the reception and withdrawal of the substitute receiver when it in turn is dropped, said withdrawing means being operable by said reciprocating means.

14. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for supporting and reciprocating the receiver at a rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the'sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, and means for removing said receiver from its support whereby another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets.

15. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a. receiver for said sheets, means for supporting and reciprocating the receiver at the rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for removing said receiver from its support whereby another receiver may be substituted. for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets, and means for withdrawing said removed receiver and thereby providing for the reception and withdrawal of the substitute receiver when it in turn is removed.

16. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream of sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for supporting and reciprocating the receive at the rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for removing said receiver from its support whereby another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets, and means for withdrawing said removed receiver and thereby providing, for the reception and withdrawal of the substitute receiver when it in turn is removed, said withdrawing means being operable by said reciprocating means,

17. In a machine for stacking sheets, in combination, means for delivering a stream 01 sheets, a receiver for said sheets, means for supporting and reciprocating the receiver at the rate of speed proportioned to the rate of delivery of the sheets whereby the sheets are stacked on said receiver, means for removing said receiver from its support whereby another receiver may be substituted for the reception of the oncoming sheets without interruption of the stream of sheets,

and means for withdrawing said removed IQSCIVGI and thereby providingfor the reception and \Yllllilltlwill oi the substitute receiver when it in turn is removed, said 1 withdrawing means being; operable by repeated lGiiPIOCfllilODS of said reciprocating means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunder signed my name.

CHARLES E. DELLENBARGER. 

